Marshall High School football player identified as victim of deadly shooting

HOUSTON – The teenager who police said died Monday night after being shot by his uncle has been identified as a football player at Fort Bend Marshall High School.

The shooting was reported about 11:45 p.m. at River Bluff and Broken Bridge drives.

Houston police said that the 17-year-old boy and his uncle were involved in a heated argument when the uncle grabbed a rifle and shot him in the leg. Police said another family member took the teen to a hospital in Sugar Land, where he died.

Marshall High School football coach James Williams confirmed that the victim was senior defensive back Drew Conley, who wore jersey No. 3.

VIDEO: Game footage of Fort Bend Marshall's Drew Conley

"Drew was a great kid and made a huge impact on our campus and on our team. It's just so very sad," Williams wrote to KPRC2.

A tribute to Conley was posted on the team's twitter account this morning. It read simply, "Remember 3."

The team has a 14-0 record and is set to play in the state semifinals in San Antonio on Friday.

Korey King, one of Conley's teammates, said in a tweet that the two of them were just celebrating the trip to the playoffs.

"The last thing we said was, 'We did it. We broke the Curse,'" King said in his tweet.

The uncle was taken into custody, according to police. It was not immediately clear whether charges will be filed.

Houston Police said the case would be referred to a grand jury to decide if the uncle will face any charges.

Grief counselors met with the football team Tuesday to provide support.

A letter that was sent home to Marshall High School parents Tuesday afternoon is below:

"Dear Marshall High School Family, 

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I am writing to you today. Today, we learned that one of our students unexpectedly passed away overnight. Our deepest condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of our MHS student. I ask that you keep the family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

"Out of respect for the family, we will not be releasing further information or the identity of the student.
As our school processes this tragic news, we have had our counselors, along with MHS staff and District crisis personnel at our campus to offer counseling and bereavement support services to any students in need of support. 

"The death of a student is tragic and can bring many emotions that can be difficult to process. In addition to on-campus support, students may also call the District’s confidential helpline, TalkLine, at (281) 240-8255 (TALK), or text the word SPEAK to 741741 to be immediately connected to a crisis counselor. Both services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

"As always, I want to thank you for your continued support, especially during this difficult time.
"Sincerely,
Dr. Ogechi Uwaga-Sanders
Principal"